And She's Not Coming Home
by HalfwayDecentFanfiction
Summary: Sometimes you end up hurting the person you love the most. Based on the song "Gone To The Movies" by Semisonic.


_Now the rain comes down the windows _

_And it drops onto the forehead of the waiting boy _

_He surveys his rental kingdom _

_And he wonders if he's really lost his one joy_

_Another fool would go down to the only place_

_She ever went to lose herself _

_She's gone to the movies now _

_And she don't need your help_

It was raining as Asami walked down the unfriendly grey sidewalks of Republic City. She thought it was fitting. Her hair hung down her head like an old, defeated mop, and her face was stung red by tears. The words of the fight still rumbled in her ears like distant thunder.

_I'm not trying to insult you, I just think you could be handling this war better than you are. _

_Why should I listen to you? You can't handle running your own company!_

That had hurt. Korra knew the shame that lurked at the back of Asami's mind better than anyone. Korra knew the her thoughts, knew the questions that reared their heads every time they got the chance. Why aren't you good enough, Asami? Why can't you do what your father did? If you can't keep your family together, do you really deserve one?

_You know what, Korra? I've never wanted to say this, but the people who say you're a terrible Avatar are right! You need to stop throwing temper tantrums and deal with your problems like an adult!_

_ Oh yeah? Or what?_

_ Or we're over!_

_ Fine. Whatever._

Korra had stormed out and left the city the next day. Asami knew she should try to find Korra and apologize. Korra was doing the best she could, and Asami respected her for taking action. She wished Korra knew that. She knew where Korra would have gone. But what would she say? What could she possibly say that would undo everything?

She shouldn't have listened to Varrick. He was the one who told her she needed to make Korra see sense. It wasn't his fault, though. Asami should have known that was the wrong way to go about it.

She stood now in front of Future Industries' headquarters. Some of the paint was peeling, and there was mold growing from the cracks. She couldn't afford to keep it clean anymore. She'd grown up in this building, played in her father's office while he was in meetings. Most of her education had been watching her father design cars and suggesting improvements, or learning hands-on how to deal with investors. She had watched her father make this building into something great. And she had let it crumble.

Korra was the only thing left in her life that hadn't crumbled away, and Asami had taken an electro-glove to their relationship. Now she was too cowardly to even try to apologize. Her eyes welled up with tears.

_Now the rain turns into snowfall _

_As the city sky reflects the silver street below _

_And it covers up the cars and the wall flowers _

_CD ended half an hour ago_

_Another fool would dig the broken car _

_Out from the snow and drive to find the show_

_She's gone to the movies now _

_And she's not coming home _

_She's gone to the movies now _

_And she's not coming home_

"Hyaaaah!" Korra yelled. She was in the middle of a large, frozen expanse, attacking a large, lumpy boulder with all her might. Snowflakes whirled around her face like angry white bugs.

_Screw. You. Asami,_ she thought as she water-whipped the boulder again and again. "Screw you!" she yelled aloud, shattering the boulder with the final strike. Black rock fragments exploded into the air, making sad, muffled sounds when they fell into the damp, clammy snow. Korra collapsed, tears leaking from her eyes.

All she could think about was whether or not Asami was right. That was one of the things that was wrenched in her gut like a knife. The fact that Asami was usually right, and she almost never got angry enough to tell the truth.

She knew Varrick had told her that Asami was insulting her behind her back. Maybe it was true (thought it didn't seem like Asami's style). Maybe all this time, Asami had held her in contempt, but been too afraid of hurting Korra's feelings to say anything.

Korra didn't even want to think about what she had said to Asami. She had been tired, on edge, thunderously angry and looking for something to destroy. She'd lashed out, and Asami had lashed back.

All Korra wanted to do was go back to Asami, apologize, say she didn't mean it. But that would be childish. No, Korra was going to face the consequences of her mistakes like an adult. Even if that meant never being able to love Asami again.

Korra let out a small sob at the thought. She felt Naga's wet nose on her back, nuzzling her. Korra wrapped her arms around Naga's neck and buried her face in Naga's damp fur.

_Now he looks around his place and anyways _

_There's nowhere she could sit besides the bed _

_And he wonders if the car will start tomorrow _

_Or he'll have to take the bus instead_

_Any other fool would be out on the roadway _

_Trying to spot her rusted Pontiac_

Asami chewed her lip nervously as she listened to Varrick in her office. _Get ahold of yourself_, she admonished mentally. _No more crying. You are the C.E.O. of Future Industries. Act like it. Korra's gone, and she's not coming back._

"So whaddya say?" he said. Asami thought about it. Varrick would have a lot of control over her company. Too much, probably. And she wasn't sure she wanted to work with someone as unstable as him. But Korra's words thundered through her mind again. She'd show Korra. She'd show everybody what she could do. With her mind and Varrick's money, Future Industries could dominate the market again.

She'd lost her parents. She'd lost Mako. And now she'd wrecked her relationship with Korra. She was not losing Future Industries, too.

_She's not coming back. She won't help you. You can't help her. You're done._

Asami signed the contract.

_She's gone to the movies now _

_And she's not coming back _

_She's gone to the movies now_

_And she's not coming back_

"Zhu Li, check that off the list," said Varrick once they were safely out of Asami's hearing range. He smiled. The C.E.O. of Future Industries had signed away half her company, and the Avatar had run home sobbing, in no state to interfere with the war. Everything was going according to his plan.

It had been a stroke of genius to break those two up. Together, they were strong. Apart, they were just two terrified teenagers with no one to trust. Everything was falling into place.


End file.
